Diary of a Naive, The Novel

Just how do you find a way out of an indifferent, lackluster marriage that’s sapped your energies, your spirit, your vitality, and your creativity?

Dear Adam,

By the time you read this, I will be in Venice.

There is no casserole in the oven. Smart as you are, I’m sure you can figure out how to cook dinner. The ironing isn’t done either—all your shirts are in a heap on the bed. Smart as you are and having two hands, I’m sure you can figure out how to iron your shirts.

The laundry is also not done, although I did mine before I packed my bags. I did the laundry for the kids to give them a head start. . . . Nothing in the house has been dusted, wiped, washed down, straightened, or messed with in any way for a week now, because I was busy packing. I know you didn’t notice. . . .

Just in case you wondered where I got the money, given that you always held me on so tight a leash: today, I took half of our savings out of our account—and no, I have no intention of paying you back—why should I?— . . . .

So begins the story of Kate Hamilton who gradually becomes obsessed with two questions: How can she find a way out of an indifferent, lackluster marriage that’s sapped her energies, her spirit, and her creativity? And, if she finds a way, is she really strong enough to leave?